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The Tablecloth

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发表于 2009-10-30 12:04 | 显示全部楼层 |阅读模式
老杨团队,追求完美;客户至上,服务到位!
Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason
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The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
, K7 k4 D. i: j" n  }1 Mto their first ministry, to reopen a church
  n8 q1 p- }) P, Din suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
" p; u; T2 a/ m: U2 mexcited about their opportunities. When they saw 0 J5 ]: k; x% o
their church, it was very run down and needed 4 q% N. A- }4 K( q. M% U! O
much work. They set a goal to have everything
$ c9 l* }8 R0 P8 V/ p. {done in time to have their first service , R& f6 R. C* q) P( L, L; `
on Christmas Eve.
- l# M% ~8 x; Z+ K( ]; ?T hey worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
+ x$ E& t8 {) q4 e1 O- ]7 t( |9 Ipainting, etc, and on December 18
3 c8 p8 }3 U, _were ahead of schedule and just about finished.
# Z% s: f, [5 `6 Z, ?O n December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
& Y) x0 ]% Z3 v% F) Nrainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
: W9 I, n1 J$ a O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.+ t5 a$ Q' y( g: [
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
3 {; P' S0 B% w+ F+ Xleaked, causing a large area of plaster about
& M& b9 O# u- U) R( E20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
4 U' x( D) B" T$ ]* x: v8 Oof the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
5 ^! T9 K, {5 X* K5 g7 Y; e8 dbeginning about head high. ) d( }$ o7 I3 j6 x/ z0 h! s( `
T he pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
0 d/ u- M, s  M- f. Mand not knowing what else to do but postpone 9 N( q3 y# l! l% f
the Christmas Eve service, headed home. # P' j9 ?* ]7 j8 n
On the way he noticed that a local business was
, v( G) O9 C: L& uhaving a flea market type sale for charity, so he / g; j5 T# X) B# I
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, 3 `1 r; I9 n. [7 D) I. v
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
6 k; b  B/ ]6 U2 q& uwith exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
: g- Z% t) u# ~3 xembroidered right in the center. It was just  / F, W2 P" Q# O( j" t
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- N/ N. H  K0 o+ R3 ~6 ^, @the right size to cover the hole in the front all. He bought it and headed back to the church. % @- C4 T' I) u% A
B y this time it had started to snow. An older 5 [7 a2 s: w' W0 C/ k) H5 j
woman running from the opposite direction was . ^4 b1 t; e# Y( L
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor * [0 Y, t, d  S' E* l
invited her to wait in the warm church for
: P5 _% G% c9 k) l" d" jthe next bus 45 minutes later. 9 O' o. ]$ w0 L, O' [3 b

+ r+ t6 M' n0 L* OShe sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor " G$ V$ w/ @6 ?. R: ~
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put 3 U1 e0 m) [0 o- D$ Z
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor $ v" l) s2 z9 v; Z
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
7 j: p% A: y4 S: xT hen he noticed the woman walking down the center
+ G( m8 l& I2 f; o+ w9 Haisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"$ n0 h+ B8 W1 }8 _) L. `' U8 b6 J$ ?6 p
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" ! v- A) Z* i) k7 P2 j, M6 K
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
3 f9 s% V. c+ \3 Qthe lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into
8 ]- X+ {$ ~0 y# R$ mit there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had 1 F' E  P/ F* g1 ^( V
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .
  x* `! w' {, X' b  {T he woman could hardly believe it as the pastor + z, @) R9 n, T, a
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
% x* b0 v+ F# V- f* H/ h6 P  S1 Awoman explained that before the war she and
3 S3 w5 y. P, \. Bher husband were well-to-do people in Austria . ' e' x4 z) N( G& W: A$ V, E$ `7 E+ z
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When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
0 u: }; S7 G) O7 V* c6 QHer husband was going to follow her the next week. . ?) x: X* j) o/ C
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her & T. H$ A) I  P- \! q* o0 \
husband or her home again.
8 r6 o. a% `* }' HT he pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
$ `0 o, r8 K+ Q5 M8 O3 h+ obut she made the pastor keep it for the church.
. R- j4 M/ J4 y7 G" AThe pastor insisted on driving her home. That" a! X8 F3 S" i) ^: ?' n
was the least he could do. She lived on the other# R1 w4 ?, Y7 {
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn  9 p6 ^9 O- g# q4 z* F# G6 t: Z
for the day for a housecleaning job.
* q; h; Z" S: r1 F! [W hat a wonderful service they had on Christmas
% h# \" J) P6 k4 Z+ X4 F) LEve. The church was almost full. The music and the
+ Z8 A2 D1 i4 H; B5 x8 xspirit were great. At the end of the service, the # B- U8 d6 A/ g8 S* o
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
9 V6 R  _5 n8 ?' J! @4 E. Hand many said that they would return.. 0 ^4 A2 D( p7 R5 A( p& _
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
; J# S4 p8 ?% Hfrom the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the : x- \" D7 s' o  g' W
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he 2 f6 g: T1 d# Q
wasn't leaving. ( s0 y3 R- S$ D
The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
4 ^5 R8 Q; c$ D( K! @* e9 g% cthe front wall because it was identical to one
7 N$ t" r6 B/ Y% F" f5 a' v5 g' zthat his wife had made years ago when
( R- z7 V: M8 ^1 A+ p* W$ c7 othey lived in Austria before the war and how 3 v2 n" U) @' x% `
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
, b, M6 I& X/ k5 v+ [H e told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
. V2 p, y9 f% S  Pforced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
6 L7 d. V1 }. X* z( Q1 X* ~  dsupposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
& _# P8 r" W6 [put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home  z/ g' C) o! O5 H+ T; B: l5 W
again all the 35 years between. 5 q2 U$ G, n, g/ F
T he pastor asked him if he would allow him to
' z- K7 m/ D2 D: y0 @! h& ytake him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
- M# w7 D4 i7 a& H8 p% r: D9 }0 U# ZIsland and to the same house where the pastor & c- W" b* n2 p
had taken the woman three days earlier.
. }* @6 S+ R) `- _He helped the man climb the three flights of
4 `5 Y/ L  D& ^& \stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
8 |; i& W" y6 r4 j4 G, c+ Wthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas 0 j5 S- {2 ^; e- ^6 E3 H  g2 \
reunion he could ever imagine." [# v  I9 B- N* G) D! ]2 N. v# z
T rue Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
& l9 B' F7 D) B6 |who says God does work in mysterious ways.
0 S$ n  u% \6 b: R2 {% y: gI asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
# k! t& J& e# L! n! B: J" @you today, to guide you and protect you as you go ) k; y: D8 V$ H; @8 G; D: s, e% P$ r
along your way. His love is always with you. His   N6 n$ \# k  L
promises are true, and when we give Him all our : z$ j) ]6 [% Q3 n
cares we know He will see us through. 0 {* N( W$ U0 e6 O
S o when the road you're traveling seems
5 o" B/ K# l* d1 H& r# H3 [difficult at best, just remember I'm here - U. `, S# N5 e/ V
praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on
" i6 K/ i3 o4 X/ W3 ^& N7 Y- B: sto those you want God to bless and remember
$ R6 ^7 }- E7 g; q. Dto send it back to the one who asked God to bless
; A% h" v- ~0 u9 G' m& U( \you first. % f- l: B) a: A1 _( Y/ `
W hen there is nothing left but God, that is when
" \/ v/ v. h: [you find out that God is all you need Take 60
2 ~/ y% S" E) q, K0 w" @( \) jseconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
& Z" J9 v8 {* y$ Asay the following small prayer for the person
! }% g# q2 [+ Z* g! \' M* mwho sent this to you.
  \/ D6 G7 `' U/ hFather, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
- z( Q2 |) S' d9 p/ Z  {ever it is that You know they may be needing this
: |9 k9 p2 a$ ]7 ~& Q, r9 bday! May their lives be full of Your peace, $ D* _2 y7 p" M! t5 _
prosperity and power as they seek to have a + P9 g. Z% h, g# g# t3 A) ]
closer relationship with You. Amen.
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发表于 2009-10-30 15:24 | 显示全部楼层
thank you for your good story!
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